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Yesterday afternoon I was going to go to the beach in Chicago. But because the weather was unusually cold and wet, plans were changed. I ended up home wearing wool socks and making brownies.

I don’t know about you. But I find there are two camps for brownies. The cake brownie with frosting. Then the chewy, fudge brownie with nuts. This brownie is in the second category.

Since I haven’t shared a recipe in awhile, I’ll share one now.

The brownies are almost like a flourless chocolate cake (just 1/4 cup of flour). The brownies come out soft and oozing molten chocolate. But once set and chilled in the fridge, become dense and fudge-like, with intense chocolate flavor melded with the tang of the secret ingredient (sour cream).

The recipe is adapted from a food processor cook book I had in the 1980’s. I cannot remember the author more find the book. But I did a long time ago write down the basic ingredients and made up the rest. It’s best to use the best chocolate available. I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips and bars, real butter and vanilla, and walnuts. I also make sure my sour cream is made with real cream and not fillers like gelatin or corn starch. (Check the label).

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One of my favorite spots in the Midwest US is Turkey Run State Park. A mere three hour drive from my house near Chicago, it’s a great place to visit with family and friends. I feel so inspired by the nature all around, especially in the spring. The water trails are very fun and deliciously wet and tactile in the spring. A very wet summer has extended this fun.

Restoration is being done on Pratt Creek and other waterways on the ranch to restore fish and wildlife habitats. It’s an exciting project that is bringing back salmon and steelhead that have not spawned there for many, many years. It’s amazing what people can do when they just put in the effort.

Many people and organizations are responsible for the project besides us land owners, including The Nature Conservancy, BPA, Trout Unlmtd., and private Trusts and the Department of Energy.

How nice to be able to make a difference in a positive way! Feeling very inspired at the moment.

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Yesterday afternoon I was going to go to the beach in Chicago. But because the weather was unusually cold and wet, plans were changed. I ended up home wearing wool socks and making brownies.

I don’t know about you. But I find there are two camps for brownies. The cake brownie with frosting. Then the chewy, fudge brownie with nuts. This brownie is in the second category.

Since I haven’t shared a recipe in awhile, I’ll share one now.

The brownies are almost like a flourless chocolate cake (just 1/4 cup of flour). The brownies come out soft and oozing molten chocolate. But once set and chilled in the fridge, become dense and fudge-like, with intense chocolate flavor melded with the tang of the secret ingredient (sour cream).

The recipe is adapted from a food processor cook book I had in the 1980’s. I cannot remember the author more find the book. But I did a long time ago write down the basic ingredients and made up the rest. It’s best to use the best chocolate available. I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips and bars, real butter and vanilla, and walnuts. I also make sure my sour cream is made with real cream and not fillers like gelatin or corn starch. (Check the label).

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The camera I use in my studio was given to me by my photographer daughter, Audrey. It’s a Nikon D40 DSLR camera that she used in high school. It’s now mine. I use it exclusively in my art studio for taking reference photos and images of art for the internet.

As you can plainly see, it’s been around the block a time or two. The viewfinder is covered in paint. In fact, the entire camera (save the lens glass) is covered in some form and color of paint.

I once took the camera out to a function with friends and was explaining that it was my art studio camera. One of the guys asked, “So you painted it??” Yeah. Last time I took it out of the studio.

So why am I sharing it shamelessly here on the internet? To show my human side I guess. I consider this collateral damage for my profession. And while I am sure there are many artists with pristine equipment, this is just one of those areas I tend to get a little dirty. I also have paint on my studio Mac keyboard, metal rulers, studio doorknobs, bookshelves, and storage bins.

If you have questions, well so do I. I have lots of questions. Like how did this happen? I tried at first to wipe all signs of fingerprints off this piece of equipment. How did I get from shiny and clean to this? How have I managed to keep the paint off the lens glass? (That’s an easy one actually. The paint is everywhere I touch.) Why am I sharing this? Because I like you and trust you with this little secret. Have a nice day.

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I’ve been exploring watercolors recently. They are quite different in process than working with oil paints. But I am liking the way they look with florals and even birds. I paint always in a painterly and sometimes abstract style. I am finding the way to accommodate my painting style with the watercolor paints. It took a while for me to figure out which paper I prefer (hot press), and which brushes I like the best (the larger ones). But I am enjoying the journey.

The watercolor paint tubes are tiny.

Here are a few I purchased. The sales clerk put the tiny paints in a cute little tiny box to keep them safe. I am keeping the box because it is just adorable. hahaha.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am in the middle of a state bird series. Each of the United States has its own state bird. I am painting all 50 state birds this year. I am about half way through the series. (I sometimes incorporate the state tree into the painting also). Here is a sampling of the lot. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of a few familiar, but some unusual, birds to paint. (Above is the Delaware Blue Hen)

Louisiana Brown Pelican

Arizona Cactus Wren

California Quail

Iowa Goldfinch

Hawaii Nene Goose

Michigan Robin

Connecticut Robin

Indiana Cardinal

Enjoy the continued series in the upcoming weeks! I’ll post a collection of the second half after they are finished.

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Last call for spring oil painting class at Elmhurst Art Museum. This is a great class for beginners and those who want to review oil painting basics. I will be teaching the oil painting class. The course runs for six weeks and is held at the Elmhurst Art Museum on Tuesday evenings starting at 6:30 pm. Hope you can join us!

If you are not familiar, Elmhurst is about 10 miles west of the City of Chicago and the museum is on a museum “campus” at Wilder Park. The campus also includes the Lizzadro Museum, Wilder Mansion, Elmhurst Conservatory, and Elmhurst Public Library. If you have a day off and are nearby, it’s a nice place to visit for the day regardless of whether you sign up for the class above.